Expanded media content access systems and methods

• US 9,066,151 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian F., Stallings, Heath, Relyea, Donald H., Rodrigues, Ruchir, Bhaskaran, Sathya, Sankaranarayan, Ramakrishnan Ramaswamy
• Primary Examiner(s): Alata, Yassin
• Application Number:
  US13/652,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20130042266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 725/46, 725/48, 725/59, 725/62, 725/63, 725/68, 725/74, 725/78, 725/80, 725/82, 725/84, 725/85, 709/225
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

In one of many possible embodiments, an exemplary method includes an expansion media content processing device receiving media content in a format not supported by a set-top box to which the expansion media content processing device is communicatively connected by a local communication link, converting the media content from the format not supported by the set-top box to a format supported by the set-top box, and providing the media content in the format supported by the set-top box to the set-top box by way of the local communication link. In some examples, the method further includes the set-top box receiving and using the media content in the format supported by the set-top box to provide the media content to an output device for presentation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a handheld expansion media content processing device from a set-top box to which the handheld expansion media content processing device is communicatively connected by a local communication link, media content in a format not supported by the set-top box, the set-top box having received the media content directly through an open media network independently of the handheld expansion media content processing device;

receiving, by the handheld expansion media content processing device from the set-top box, additional media content in a format supported by the set-top box, the set-top box having received the additional media content directly through a closed media network independently of the handheld expansion media content processing device;

converting, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the media content from the format not supported by the set-top box to a format supported by the set-top box;

looping back, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the media content in the format supported by the set-top box to the set-top box by way of the local communication link for presentation by an output device associated with the set-top box;

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the additional media content received from the set-top box to an additional output device for presentation, the additional output device different from the output device; and

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device for display by the additional output device, a graphical user interface through which a user may interact with the handheld expansion media content processing device,

wherein the handheld expansion media content processing device is implemented as a small form factor device configured to plug directly into a Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

) port of the set-top box.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the set-top box by way of the local communication link, the media content in the format supported by the set-top box and looped back by the handheld expansion media content processing device to the set-top box; and

using, by the set-top box, the media content in the format supported by the set-top box to provide the media content to the output device for presentation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the media content to the additional output device for presentation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the set-top box by way of the local communication link, the additional media content to the handheld expansion media content processing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the set-top box, the additional media content that has been received by the set-top box by way of the closed media network to the output device for presentation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the open media network comprises the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, of the media content in the format not supported by a set-top box comprises receiving the media content from the set-top box by way of the local communication link.

8. The method of claim 1, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, by a handheld expansion media content processing device by way of the Internet, media content in a format not supported by a set-top box to which the handheld expansion media content processing device is communicatively connected by a local communication link;

receiving, by the handheld expansion media content processing device from the set-top box, additional media content in a format supported by the set-top box, the set-top box having received the additional media content directly through a closed media network independently of the handheld expansion media content processing device;

converting, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the media content from the format not supported by the set-top box to a format supported by the set-top box;

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the media content in the format supported by the set-top box to the set-top box by way of the local communication link for presentation by an output device associated with the set-top box;

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the additional media content received from the set-top box to an additional output device for presentation, the additional output device different from the output device; and

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device for display by the additional output device, a graphical user interface through which a user may interact with the handheld expansion media content processing device,

wherein the handheld expansion media content processing device is implemented as a small form factor device configured to plug directly into a Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

) port of the set-top box.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the set-top box by way of the local communication link, the media content in the format supported by the set-top box and provided by the handheld expansion media content processing device to the set-top box; and

using, by the set-top box, the media content in the format supported by the set-top box to provide the media content to the output device for presentation.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the media content to the additional output device for presentation.

12. The method of claim 9, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a handheld expansion media content processing device from a set-top box by way of a local communication link communicatively connecting the set-top box and the handheld expansion media content processing device, media content that has been accessed by the set-top box directly over a network independently of the handheld expansion media content processing device and that is in a media format not supported by the set-top box;

converting, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the media content received from the set-top box by way of the local communication link from the media format not supported by the set-top box to a media format supported by the set-top box for use, by the set-top box, to provide the media content to an output device for presentation;

looping back, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the converted media content in the media format supported by the set-top box to the set-top box by way of the local communication link;

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device to an additional output device for presentation, the media content in the media format not supported by the set-top box, the additional output device different from the output device and configured to support the media format not supported by the set-top box; and

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device for display by the additional output device, a graphical user interface through which a user may interact with the handheld expansion media content processing device,

wherein the handheld expansion media content processing device is implemented as a small form factor device configured to plug directly into a Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

) port of the set-top box.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, by the set-top box by way of the local communication link, the media content in the media format supported by the set-top box and looped back to the set-top box by the handheld expansion media content processing device; and

using, by the set-top box, the media content in the media format supported by the set-top box to provide the media content to the output device for presentation.

15. The method of claim 13, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, by a handheld expansion media content processing device from a set-top box by way of a local communication link communicatively connecting the set-top box and the handheld expansion media content processing device, encoded media content that has been accessed by the set-top box directly over a network independently of the handheld expansion media content processing device, the set-top box being incapable of decoding the encoded media content;

decoding, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the encoded media content received from the set-top box by way of the local communication link;

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the decoded media content to an output device for presentation to a user associated with the output device;

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the encoded media content to an additional output device for presentation, the additional output device different from the output device and capable of decoding the encoded media content; and

providing, by the handheld expansion media content processing device for display by the additional output device, a graphical user interface through which a user associated with the additional output device may interact with the handheld expansion media content processing device,

wherein the handheld expansion media content processing device is implemented as a small form factor device configured to plug directly into a Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

) port of the set-top box.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

encoding, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the decoded media content in a media format supported by the set-top box; and

looping back, by the handheld expansion media content processing device, the media content encoded in the media format supported by the set-top box to the set-top box by way of the local communication link.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the set-top box by way of the local communication link, the media content encoded in the format supported by the set-top box and looped back by the handheld expansion media content processing device to the set-top box; and

using, by the set-top box, the media content encoded in the media format supported by the set-top box to provide the media content to the output device for presentation.

19. The method of claim 16, embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.